NASHVILLE, TN/1/24/07—Christian publisher Thomas Nelson has formed a joint venture with Brazilian publisher Ediouro Publicações to launch a new publishing group in Rio de Janeiro. The Nashville, Tenn.-based company will translate into Portuguese a number of its popular authors, including Max Lucado, Donald Miller and John Maxwell.

Nelsons president and CEO Michael S. Hyatt said in announcing the deal that This venture combines out authors world-class content with Ediouros robust distribution, marketing and publishing expertise in Brazil. He said that the venture will have a positive effect upon many Brazilian readers.

The new unit plans to release 48 titles in 2007. Topics will include spiritual growth, self-help and business.

The market for inspirational books in Brazil is booming with an evangelical audience of some 30 million out of a population of 180 million.

Luiz Fernando Pedroso, executive vice president of Ediouro, will help oversee the new unit, together with publisher Carlo Carrenho in Rio de Janeiro. Managing the unit from the U.S. office will be Tod Shuttleworth, senior v-p and group publisher of Nelson Global Publishing and Specialty Publishing.

The Brazil venture is part of a broader strategy in which the company will also open units in Mexico and China later this year.